


Peppermint Randevú

by Between_A_Dream



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: F/F, Family, Jokes, Light 2x07 promo spoilers, Pranks, The original character is Wynonna's baby girl who she names Willa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-18
Updated: 2017-07-18
Packaged: 2018-12-03 15:53:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11535468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Between_A_Dream/pseuds/Between_A_Dream
Summary: Wynonna ruined peppermint for Nicole after that little drinking experience, and ever since that night it's become a childish game between the two of them- One that even after six years Wynonna still finds funny, Nicole still finds sickening, and Waverly has frankly seen enough of. But, if it meant making the people she loved happy, Nicole would gladly play along.





	Peppermint Randevú

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! So I hope you enjoy this, I apologize for the length!

Nicole wouldn't have guessed that drinking with Wynonna would have been so bad. Which, she would admit, was probably somewhat stupid on her part. The girl's blood type was practically whiskey, after all. But even knowing that, the officer was sure things wouldn't have been so bad- Even trying to match Wynonna shot for shot- If she weren't drinking every bit of alcohol that Wynonna had in front of her as well as her own.

She was determined to make sure that Wynonna wouldn't endanger herself or the baby, so every time the older woman ordered anything that she even assumed to be alcoholic (She had never been one to spend egregious amounts of time at bars before, and once she had downed five peppermint shots she lost the ability to be entirely sure what Wynonna was ordering) she was quick to down whatever drink it was as quickly as possible.

She knew that she and the eldest Earp sister didn't exactly see eye to eye about a lot of things anymore, her relationship with Waverly included, but they were similar in many ways. That was something they could both see, and when Wynonna asked her to head out with her she was keen to at least attempt to try and get back to some level of friendship. Since the incident with Willa, their relationship had turned into a strained, tug of war for Waverly's affection.

Well, that wasn't entirely true. Nicole would never try to separate the sisters from each other- She knew how much they needed each other- And Wynonna wouldn't ever ask Waverly not to be in a relationship that made her happy and with someone who treated her the way she deserved, but sometimes their needs and desire to be around the brunette conflicted with each other.

So, in an attempt to hopefully mend their friendship, Nicole had agreed to Wynonna's proposal the moment it had been offered. And that was why, two and a half hours later, she was struggling to sit upright at a table in the middle of a crowded bar, her vision slowly failing her more and more by the second and her senses slipping away.

"Nicole! Ya still with me Haughtstuff?" Wynonna's voice snapped her out of her thoughts and she sat straight up, her eyes flying open.

"Yeah! Yeah, I'm here!" she slurred, blinking rapidly in an attempt to clear the blur around the corners of her eyes.

"You sure? You're looking a bit rough around the edges," Wynonna chucked as a drink was placed in front of her. The waitress barely looked at the pair as she set the drink down and turned back to the counter, but before Wynonna could take a sip Nicole reached across the table and pulled the glass away.

"You... You can't... Drink," she stumbled over her words, struggling with all her might to form coherent thoughts.

"Right! Pregnancy, baby Earp, no drinking. I keep forgetting about that," the eldest Earp sister laughed, looking back down at the drink menu in front of her. Nicole grimaced at the sight of the drink in front of her, taking in a shaky breath before downing the glass in front of her. For some reason, every drink that Wynonna ordered had something to do with peppermint, and frankly, Nicole was getting sick of the taste, let alone the alcohol.

She felt bile rising in her throat but she forced it back down, visibly shuddering and gagging at the taste it left in her mouth. Her head was buzzing, she could hear the most irritable ringing in the back of her ears, and she was beginning to lose consciousness.

"Haught shot? You still with me?" Wynonna waved her hand in front of the auburn haired woman's face, but Nicole could only stare ahead blankly until she lost the battle against the pull of darkness, and she collapsed.

* * *

"You what?" Waverly nearly screamed when she laid eyes on the sight in front of her. Standing in the doorway of the homestead was Wynonna- Heavily pregnant and bearing a sheepish grin- And Nicole- Drunk, nearly unconscious, and slung over Wynonna's shoulder. Before Wynonna could defend herself Nicole doubled over and puked, unable to hold back her sickness any longer.

"Sorry," she mumbled drunkenly, then collapsed back into Wynonna's side.

"Hey, don't put all the blame on me, she agreed to go!" the older brunette defended.

"You took her to a bar, ordered alcohol all night long, and then let her drink everything you ordered just to prove to yourself that she would do it, even with her fear of your disapproval?" Waverly's eyes were dark and she spoke through gritted teeth.

"I have to admit, Haughtshot here held her own. Didn't let me touch a single drink. Though she's probably never gonna touch a candy cane again in her life," Wynonna grinned, but she was only met with a glare. "Oh relax, I wouldn't have anyways. I just wanted to see what she would do."

"So you let her get slobbering drunk to the point where she can't even stand!" by now, Waverly wasn't asking, she was accusing- And she was furious. "You could've stopped her around a few drinks! You know what, no, why am I defending this at all? You could've not done this! You didn't have to-" before Waverly could finish, Wynonna pushed her hand over her mouth, her eyes serious for the first time since her arrival.

"Listen baby girl, this isn't easy for me either. I mean, you were a goo demon for seven weeks and I didn't even notice until someone said something, and even then I didn't believe it myself. But this one here," she paused to gesture to Nicole, "She noticed right away. From that very first morning, she knew something was wrong. She knows you so well, even better than I do, and I'm your sister," Wynonna let her head fall, and she sighed.

"I'm not saying I don't think it's great that you're a couple. I do. And I like Nicole. A lot, actually. She's fun and she's smart and she has a sense of humor that isn't making fart sounds or joking about how women look. And she cares more for you than anyone. I've never seen you in love before and... I guess I'm just scared that I'm gonna lose you," the older woman admitted. From her shoulder, Nicole groaned and attempted to lift her head, but it simply rolled to the side and she mumbled something unintelligible under her breath.

"Wynonna..." Waverly's tone softened, and she walked towards her sister, taking her girlfriend into her arms and relieving the older woman of the added weight. "Let me go put her in my room, and then we can talk," she rubbed her hand over Wynonna's upper arm, then turned and looked at her barely awake girlfriend before slinging one of the ginger's arms over her shoulder and starting up the stairs.

* * *

When Waverly walked back down the stairs after situating Nicole in her bed- Something that was _not_ an easy task considering that seeing the ginger curled up under her covers made her heart melt and it took everything she had to leave her alone- Wynonna was sitting at the kitchen table, her hands twiddling together nervously.

"You look like I'm about to break up with you," Waverly teased, and she watched her older sister laugh and unclasp her hands.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... I wasn't trying to say you don't," she struggled to get out her words and Waverly held up a hand.

"I get it, I really do. Losing a sister isn't easy," the brunette sighed as she sat down across the table. "I've lost two before," the second part was quieter, but Wynonna still heard it clearly, and she felt a stab of guilt pierce her chest.

"I never meant to leave you alone," Wynonna's voice quivered, and she shoved back a sob that was aching in the back of her throat. "I just... I couldn't-"

"You couldn't stay. I know. I didn't want you to. You were miserable here," Waverly cut her off. "I just wish... Well, I used to wish, anyways... I always wished you'd have taken me with you. That you'd have let me leave with you, leave this damn town where everyone hated you and no one even knew who I was because I was just the Earp girl who was still stuck here," it was Waverly's turn to struggle with what to say. "But now... I mean, if I'd have left, I'd never have met Nicole, you'd never have met Doc and Dolls, and we wouldn't be where we are now."

"Would that be such a bad thing?" Wynonna hadn't actually meant to say it out loud, but she didn't entirely regret it.

"Yes!" Waverly was more confident than the heir expected. "I mean, if we had left, if we'd have just packed up and never looked back, you would still be roaming over Europe, trying to fulfill a purpose that you'd never find. And I would just be trailing behind you, still dating Champ Hardy or some other guy like him because that's all I would ever believe I deserved. But that didn't happen. I stayed, and you came back, and we both found this path that's more than either of us could have ever imagined being on. And in my opinion, I'm happier here, now, than I'd ever be anywhere else. And I think you feel the same."

Wynonna didn't want to admit that any of what Waverly had just explained was true. Truthfully, she wanted to deny every word of it. But she couldn't. She couldn't say a single thing to disagree, because in fact, it was truer than Waverly even knew. Wynonna had meant it when she said she never wanted this, but she also meant it when she said being the heir felt like it fit. And now, so did being a mother, and having two wonderful friends by her side- Whatever they turned out to be in the end- And having Nicole beside Waverly, ready to defend her with as much heart and love as Wynonna herself.

"I do," the older woman finally sighed. "I really do. I feel exactly the same. And I'm glad you have Nicole, even if she is kind of a pain in the ass," that earned her a half playful shove from her sister and she chuckled, holding up her hands in defense.

"She's good for you baby girl. I've never seen anyone so in love with you, and trust me, I've definitely seen plenty of drunken idiots eyeing you up. But Haughstuff... She's not like them, and she's certainly not like Champ. She's different," Wynonna let out a small chuckle, and Waverly blushed, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"Yeah. Yeah she is," the shorter woman sighed happily. Wynonna chuckled and shook her head.

"But you know, now that she probably hates peppermint and all, I'm going to have my share of fun," the older woman grinned. Waverly smirked and shrugged, gesturing to where Nicole had previously thrown up.

"Fine. But you get to clean up that mess over there."

* * *

When Nicole woke, she sat straight up in bed, gasping for air like she had just been underwater. She grabbed her chest, her breathing shallow and uneven, and her face red. Moments after she sat up she felt her head spinning and she forced herself to sit still. Moving blurred her vision and only intensified the pounding against her skull.

"Bout time ya woke up Haughtstuff," a voice sounded from across the room, but it took Nicole longer than she would've liked to admit to realize that it was Waverly speaking to her, not Wynonna.

"I... Waves?" she called out, confused at her girlfriend's word choice. She heard a giggle and the brunette's voice returned to normal.

"Sorry, just trying it out. I don't think that's a name I could ever seriously call you," through the darkness Waverly crossed the space between them and jumped up on the bed beside her. Nicole could make out her general form in the moonlight, but as she opened her mouth to speak she saw the shorter woman's eyes change from light hearted and amused to serious and hurt.

Waverly stared at her for a few moments, then shoved Nicole backwards, pushing hard against her chest. Before the ginger could respond with anything more than a surprised grunt, the shorter woman then pulled her back and kissed her hard on the lips, and when that ended she settled for hugging her tightly against her chest.

"You're such an idiot," she whispered, tears forming in her eyes. Nicole only hugged back, not daring to attempt to speak until she was given the permission to do so. "What the hell made you think you could drink everything Wynonna ordered? Do you even realize how much alcohol your blood cells are currently drowning in?"

"Considering this headache, and the fact that the inside of my mouth is currently coated in peppermint, I'm starting to get an idea," the officer groaned, letting her head rest against Waverly's shoulder.

"You didn't have to do any of this you know," Waverly sighed, leaning back against the headboard of the bed and letting her fingers trail through Nicole's short, fiery curls.

"Yes I did," the auburn haired woman mumbled against her skin, nuzzling her nose up against her girlfriend's neck. "I had to make a good impression."

"You didn't have to drink all that alcohol though," Waverly explained.

"I know."

The revelation shocked the younger Earp sister.

"You... You know?" she asked, confused.

"I know Wynonna isn't stupid, and I know she wouldn't endanger her baby's life that way," Nicole clarified. "But I wasn't gonna ruin her plan, so I went along with it."

Waverly sat with her mouth hanging open for a few moments, before she let out a laugh and shook her head. She leaned down and pressed a kiss to the red head's forehead.

"You, Nicole Haught, are a wonder," she chuckled. Nicole leaned up, chasing her lips for a proper kiss, but the brunette shook her head and held a finger against her girlfriend's lips. "Nope, nuh uh beer breath, not until you go and brush your teeth," Waverly demanded, pointing across the hall to the bathroom where Nicole kept a spare toothbrush for the nights she slept over. Sighing, the officer groaned and stood slowly, rubbing her head and blinking rapidly.

"Fine," she yawned, stretching her arms up over her head, "As long as your toothpaste isn't peppermint. I'm never going to be able to celebrate Christmas the same way again."

* * *

"Wynonna! Nicole! Will you two cut it out!" Waverly's sharp hiss snapped both women to attention and they simultaneously dropped the box they were fighting over.

"But Waverly, it's the last one! She got it last time!" Wynonna honest to god whimpered, her eyes pleading and her lip poked out in a pout. "I can't control what I want anymore, remember!" the older Earp sister gestured to her stomach, 8 months and counting heavy with a baby Earp inside.

"That is so not true! You got them last time, remember! You even put a goddamn seatbelt over the box!" Nicole shot back, glaring at the older woman. Both stayed tense, ready to jump for the box at any moment.

"Both of you knock it off! You're acting like children! Over a damn box of cereal!" the shorter brunette walked towards the pair, leaning down and picking the box up off the floor. She walked back towards the shelf, ignoring the sounds of protests coming from behind her. "It's _Cookie Crisp_. Last time I checked I'm the youngest one here, and yet _I_ somehow end up having to be the mature one," she muttered to herself, throwing the box as high as she could so it landed on the top shelf, higher than any of them could reach.

"There, now _no one_ gets it. Come on, we aren't even halfway done with this list yet, and I swear to god I will leave both of you here if I have to," she stalked back to the cart, ignoring the murmured, half hearted apologies coming from both her sister and her girlfriend. Wynonna turned to Nicole and stuck out her tongue, and Nicole held up her middle finger, but both quickly froze and walked forward when Waverly whipped her head back around to glare at them. "Children, I swear to god."

They followed single file behind her silently, Nicole hanging back a bit and making sure that neither of the Earp sisters could see her as they turned into the next isle. Seizing her window of opportunity, Nicole spun and raced back to the shelf, jumping up on the first level and reaching up to the top. She grabbed the cereal box, jumped down, and silently ran back to follow Waverly and Wynonna, holding the box as quietly as she could behind her back. She was so preoccupied with keeping the box hidden from the sisters that she didn't notice Wynonna switching the box of toothpaste that Waverly had picked for a box of peppermint flavor instead.

* * *

Asking Nicole to move in with her was a big step, and Waverly was well aware. But, she also knew she shouldn't be so nervous about it. After all, she practically lived at the homestead anyways, and she was just as invested in Willa as everybody else. Maybe even more so at times. The thought that someday she and the ginger would have their own kids- Their own _family_ \- Was enough to make Waverly blush all the way to her ears.

But, that wasn't to come for awhile- The house was already in commotion with the birth of one Earp baby the previous week, and she and Nicole definitely weren't ready to take things that far yet. But Waverly _did_  feel that they were ready to move in together, considering Nicole slept in her room almost every week night anyways, even before Willa's entrance into the family.

True, some of it was work related- Since everyone in the house had business at the police station, it was definitely easier to carpool- But everyone, including Waverly and Nicole themselves, knew they had much bigger and more important reasons for her staying over.

And still, all of that considered, Waverly was still a bundle of nerves when her red haired girlfriend walked into the house, a smile on her face.

"Hey, I rented a few movies at the store, figured we could-" she cut herself off when she saw the look on the brunette's face and dropped the bag she was carrying. "Hey, baby what's wrong? What happened?" in an instant she was by the shorter woman's side, cupping her face in her hands and searching the younger Earp sister for any signs of injury or reason for concern. Waverly took a moment to melt into her touch, admiring the way Nicole was always so concerned about her, always aware of her feelings and ready to jump into action at any given moment to make things right.

"Nothing!" she blurted out quickly, realizing she had waited too long to give her answer when she saw that the concern in Nicole's eyes did not falter. She sighed and leaned into her girlfriend's touch.

"Nothing is wrong, I just... I have to say something and I'm scared about doing it because... Well I don't really know why I'm scared because I probably shouldn't be but I-" Waverly was cut off when Nicole leaned forward and pressed their lips together gently. The kiss was short and gentle and over far too quickly for her liking, but when the fiery haired woman pulled back she was met with an understanding gaze.

"Just breathe baby. I'm here, I'm with you, whatever it is you have to say or do, I'm here," there was such security, such promise in Nicole's tone and gaze, that Waverly couldn't help but fall in love with her all over again.

"Well I... I just... Doyouwannamoveinwithme?" her words came out in a jumbled mess and Nicole let out a small laugh.

"Um... Either you just asked me something in Latin, or I really need to work on my English," she teased, but her face fell back to serious when she saw Waverly's eyes. "Really baby, whatever it is you need to tell me, I'm-"

"Do you want to move in with me?" her words still came out in a rush, but they were clear enough to stop Nicole in the middle of her sentence.

"Oh Waves, I... You really want me to move in?" her face was now red as well.

"Only if you want to!" Waverly clarified quickly. "I mean I know you have your apartment and all and it's always crowded here, especially with Willa and the guys and I know Wynonna isn't exactly good about personal space but she really likes you, they all like you and I love you being here with me all the time, and when you leave on the weekends it feels wrong and I just-" before Waverly could go any further into her rant Nicole kissed her again, but this kiss was extremely different from the one they had shared a few moments ago. This was fire and passion and maybe even something more.

"Waves... I'd love to move in," the ginger smiled when they finally pulled apart, and Waverly felt her heart lift.

"You mean it?" she asked excitedly, her eyes wide.

"Of course! I love being here with you, and I love getting to wake up next to you every morning..." Nicole trailed off, letting her forehead press against Waverly's and wrapping her arms around her waist.

"I love you Waverly," the words barely managed to escape her lips before her confidence ran out, and once they did she was immediately scared again, her eyes wide with fear.

"I mean... I d-didn't, I... You don't have to... I wasn't..." Nicole stuttered over her words as Waverly stared at her with wide eyes, her mouth slightly ajar. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-" before she could finish the shorter girl threw herself into the ginger's arms, kissing her hard on the lips and tangling her fingers in the short red curls. The force of the kiss knocked the pair backwards and onto the couch, and Waverly couldn't help but feel reminded of their very first kiss in Nedley's office. When she pulled back, Nicole was staring up at her in shock, her eyes wide and fearful. The shorter woman laughed and kissed her again.

"I love you too doofus," she grinned against the officer's lips, and she felt her girlfriend smile back into the kiss as she wrapped her arms around her waist.

Nicole's move in process was short, considering that most of her clothes were already mixed in with Waverly's, and she didn't have much that she could bring with her. It wasn't like she needed to anyways- She easily sold off her furniture and kitchen appliances, but she did keep the coffee maker she had simply because the one at the homestead was on it's last limb.

No, moving in was easy, until Wynonna got ahold of four bottles of peppermint schnapps, and started pouring bits of them into anything and everything that she had ever seen Nicole drink. Juice, coffee, milk, even into some bottles of water. And every single time, no matter what drink it was, no matter how strong or competitive the flavors of the drink itself were, Nicole could only taste the flavor of alcoholic peppermint. It got to the point where Waverly banned Wynonna from going shopping, and from that point on she checked every recite that entered the house.

And still, even with Waverly's surveillance over purchases that entered the homestead, Wynonna still managed to sneak in two more bottles of schnapps.

* * *

"Wynonna!"

The yell startled Waverly and woke her from her slumber, and when she sat up in bed the clock beside her read 5:47 AM. Why on earth her girlfriend was awake at the ungodly hour, or why she was already pissed at her sister, she didn't know, but she knew that she would most likely have to get involved to prevent one of the two from killing the other. Checking the crib across the room to assure that Willa was still sleeping soundly, she let out a relieved sigh to see that the baby was still lost in slumber. Her crib had been too crowded in Wynonna's room, and Waverly didn't mind letting her sleep in her own, but she hoped that soon adjustments could be made so Willa could spend some more time bonding with her mom.

Waverly yawned as she made her way out into the hallway where a confrontation had already begun.

"Seriously?" Nicole hissed through the darkness, holding up a bottle of mouthwash with a poorly applied label reading bubblegum, half peeled off to reveal that the actual flavor was peppermint. Wynonna's snickering laughter echoed through the hallway and Nicole rubbed the corners of her mouth, doing her best not to gag.

"Still Haughtstuff? It's been months since you even touched one of those shots!" Wynonna stumbled through her laughter.

"It doesn't matter! I-" Nicole was cut off with another gag, and she ran into the bathroom to puke again. Waverly glared at her sister through tired eyes and Wynonna opened her mouth to protest, but before she could the sound of crying interrupted her.

"Well, while I have to go make sure my girlfriend doesn't puke her own guts out, you can go and take care of Willa," Waverly snapped. Wynonna flashed her a wicked smile, not even attempting to look guilty, and made her way into her younger sister's bedroom while the brunette attended to her currently-still-puking girlfriend.

* * *

"Okay, are you guys sure you're up for this?" Wynonna asked nervously, her eyes scanning the living room once again.

"Wynonna, we'll be fine. You go, relax, take a day off. You've been stuck in this house for ages now, and Nicole and I can handle this, right?" Waverly smiled back at her ginger girlfriend- Cradling Willa in her arms- Who nodded and grinned back. Wynonna sighed and nodded.

"Okay... Okay. I'll be fine. Just... Call me if anything goes wrong?" Wynonna asked, and for the first time Nicole saw fear in her expression.

"Don't worry," she promised as she approached the door, "Willa is in the best hands possible with Waverly here. We'll all be okay."

The older woman offered a small, grateful smile, then turned and walked out the door, and though it was brief, Waverly swore she saw a hint of a mischievous gling in her sister's eye before she turned away completely. But, she didn't have time to process that, because suddenly Willa cooed up at Nicole in her arms and the auburn haired woman beamed down at her.

"Hello there beautiful," she grinned down at the infant, nuzzling her nose against Willa's, causing her to giggle loudly and play with Nicole's curls. Waverly felt her heart swoon at the sight, and she took a moment to savor the image. She got so involved in staring that she didn't realize right away that she'd been caught.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer," Nicole's teasing voice snapped her out of her thoughts and she blushed, and although she was well aware it was a rhetorical, sarcastic comment, she pulled out her phone and snapped a photo of the pair. Nicole giggled and shook her head, pulling the brunette in for a quick kiss. "You," she mumbled between kisses, "Are a dork."

"And you," Waverly also paused to press her lips against the officer's, "Love it."

"I do," the sarcastic tone in her voice suddenly gone and instead replaced with sincerity. Waverly blushed bright red and she moved to turn, but Nicole held a hand on her shoulder and let her forehead press against the brunette's. She leaned forward, but before the taller woman could do anything more, she was cut off by Willa's whine of discomfort, and the two women were pulled apart.

"Looks like someone's hungry," Waverly sighed with a small laugh, and Nicole let out her own chuckle in agreement. The shorter woman flashed her an apologetic glance before making her way to the kitchen. Nicole sat down on the couch, rocking Willa in her arms, hoping to at least soothe her until her bottle was ready.

"Um... Nicole, baby? You might wanna come here," Waverly's voice drew the taller woman into the kitchen in confusion.

"What's wrong?" she knew her girlfriend well enough by now to know the tone in her voice was one of concern.

"Well... Willa formula is here," she began nervously.

"Um... Baby, I'm not sure I see the problem," instead of answering Nicole directly, Waverly opened the fridge to reveal that yes, indeed, Willa's formula and bottle were there. In fact, they were the _only_ things there. At all. Everything else in the fridge had been removed, and after a frantic search of the cupboards, they came to realize so had everything in the kitchen. Everything, except a half empty bag of miniature candy canes from the previous year's Christmas, and a note attached to the bag.

"Sorry guys, this was just too good to resist!! Food is safe (Because hello would I ever waste food) but it's also hidden so have fun with these! Oh and Haughtstuff, don't you dare puke on my kid."

Nicole groaned and let her head fall against the cabinet wood, and Waverly dumped the bag angrily into the garbage. She was so sick of this game. It had been over half a year at this point, and still Wynonna found it hilarious. For a few moments, the couple stood in silence, unspeaking and unmoving. Even Willa seemed to understand the tension and stayed silent in Nicole's arms. The police woman was the first to break the silence.

"Waverly?"

It took another few moments for the brunette to answer.

"Yeah?"

"I'm going to kill your sister."

"I'll help you bury the body."

* * *

Wynonna smiled at her daughter as she sat on the blanket on the floor, clutching a blanket on in one of her impossibly tiny hands. She was currently invested in a kids cartoon that was playing on the screen, but Wynonna was too tired to care what it was. It was appropriate, and that was good enough.

Willa turned and looked at the older woman, laughing and raising her arms into the air happily. Despite her exhaustion, the heir couldn't help the smile that graced her lips. Willa was eleven months old now, and she had yet to say her first word, but everyone knew she was close by the way she constantly babbled and spurted out noises that could almost pass for words. Almost.

Willa rolled onto her back and stared up at the screen, absentmindedly throwing her hands up and down at her sides. Wynonna chuckled and let herself slide off the couch to join her daughter on the floor. She pressed a kiss to her forehead and Willa giggled, reaching forward and grabbing at her mother's nose.

"Hi baby," Wynonna grinned, nuzzling her nose against the baby's hand. She had never expected that being a mother would bring her so much joy, and she hated agreeing with the cliche stereotype, but she couldn't deny that the moment she laid eyes on her daughter she immediately would have done it all again just for that one moment to lay eyes on her.

"Mm... Ni... Ahh," Willa gurgled, laughing at her own failure to speak. Wynonna sat up and turned off the TV, turning the baby to face her.

"Come on baby, let's practice again. Can you say 'Mama'? Come on Willa!" she urged in a gentle tone, stroking the side of her daughter's head. She cooed gently at the touch and opened her mouth, but all that came out were gurgling noises.

"Come on, 'Mama'! You can do it!" Wynonna repositioned herself so she was lying on her stomach and was almost eye level with the little girl.

"Mm... Ma..." Willa struggled to repeat the word, and despite her attempt she couldn't manage to get it out. Wynonna sighed and pressed a kiss against her forehead.

"That's okay baby, soon enough," she whispered. A few moments later the door opened and she saw her sister walk in carrying bags of groceries.

"Hey Wynonna, hi Willa!" Waverly greeted the infant in a high pitched squeal, setting the bags down on the counter and making her way over towards the pair.

"Say hi Auntie Waverly!" Wynonna laughed and used Willa's hand to mimic a waving motion. Waverly beamed down at her and waved back, watching as a large, nearly toothless smile took over her face, aside from her two top front teeth that were clearly visible.

"Where's Nicole?" Wynonna asked, but before Waverly could answer they were interrupted.

"Ni-Ole!" Willa stumbled over the name, but it was clear what it was, and Waverly's mouth fell open, while Wynonna just stared at her in shock.

"Ni-Ole!" Willa repeated, giggling at herself and swinging her arms at her sides.

"Did she just..." Waverly trailed off, unable to complete her sentence.

"My baby's first word was your girlfriend's name," Wynonna sat dumbfounded, mouth slightly ajar and eyes wide. Willa rolled onto her stomach and was immediately occupied by a toy nearby, and for a long moment neither of the Earp sister said a word.

"Hey guys, sorry I took so long, I was- Hey what's up?" Nicole's voice sounded from the doorway as she noticed the expressions on their faces.

"Well... Um... Willa said her first word," Waverly finally managed to explain.

"Oh, that's awesome! What was it?" Nicole asked excitedly, her gaze landing on the baby lying on her stomach. When she looked up she saw the red haired woman in the doorway and she grinned brightly.

"Ni-Ole!" she laughed again, and Nicole literally dropped her phone, not caring if it was shattered or not. Willa resumed playing with the toy in her hand, and it was Wynonna who finally broke the silence.

"Well Haughtstuff," she began, pulling herself up to a standing position, "Looks like you're gonna have to be sticking around for awhile." Nicole could only nod, her mouth also hanging wide open and her lips unable to form coherent words.

"I... Are you mad?" Nicole finally got the guts to ask, to which the heir laughed and shrugged.

"Hey, she's gotta say something first. It's your name, that's not the worst thing it could've been. I mean hell, it coulda been Champ," Wynonna snickered. Waverly blushed an uncomfortable, embarrassed shade of red and Nicole stuttered as she tried to find words. "Relax Haughtshot. It's cool. No harm done."

Wynonna bought nothing but peppermint flavored coffee for a week.

* * *

Waverly couldn't honestly believe what she was currently looking at. Willa's cake looked like, tasted like, and was practically- Aside from having the texture of cake- A candy cane. The shape, the red and white icing stripes (That were also mint), even the cake's own flavor, everything about it was peppermint.

Nicole was literally gagging just at the smell, burying her face in Waverly's shoulder to keep her nose shielded from the air, and across the room Wynonna was snickering at the sight before her. She still couldn't believe she'd managed to get the cake in the first place.

_Flashback_

_"Oh_   _come on Mary, this is important!" Wynonna begged for the fifth time in a row. The bakery she was currently in was owned by Mary Peltz, an older woman who unfortunately for the Earp heir happened to be the mother of a boy Wynonna had dated and dumped at prom in high school. It had been an ugly break up- For him at least- And she wasn't exactly remorseful about it. But, it was also the only bakery in town that did custom cakes or flavoring, so it wasn't like she had any other choice._

_"Sorry Wynonna. Even if I did want to help you, which I don't, peppermint isn't a flavor of cake. It doesn't even exist," Mary ignored the younger woman as she scrubbed the counter tops._

_"Ouch. You don't even know what the cake is for!" Wynonna groaned, letting her head fall against the side of a beam of wood near the counter._

_"You want it, which means it will benefit you in some way," Mary snapped._

_"Jesus, are you still bitter at me about dumping Kyle? That was like, 13 years ago," the brunette whined._

_"Kyle hasn't been with a girl since," Mary shot back. Wynonna grimaced, partially at the idea that someone her own age had gone 13 years without being intimate with someone, and partially at the fact that she caused it. She sighed and pulled out her phone, opening her photos app._

_"This is my daughter Willa," she explained, holding up the screen and showing a few different pictures of the little girl. "She's turning two in a week and she literally would eat nothing but candy canes if I'd let her. She doesn't even like other flavors of cake, because believe me peppermint isn't exactly in my top flavor list either, but I know she'd love it, and she's my baby girl... I know I hurt Kyle and I'm sorry, can't you just overlook it for a little girl?" it wasn't **entirely** a lie. Willa did love candy canes. On her first Christmas, she had tried them for the first time, and for a full two months following if she didn't have one she cried._

_But, Wynonna also had a much more interesting and hidden reason for wanting the cake. Mary's eyes softened at the pictures and she sighed, setting down the cloth she was using to wipe the countertops._

_"So you're a mother now huh?" Mary chuckled and shook her head. "It's always the ones you least expect."_

_"Yeah, she wasn't entirely planned, but welcome all the same," despite the sob story being a ploy to mess with Nicole, Wynonna appreciated being able to talk about her feelings with an experienced mother._

_"I could never deny Kyle anything he wanted until he turned about 9. Before that, he could've asked me to hand him the moon and I would've looked for a way," Mary laughed and looked up at the brunette across the counter. She stared for a moment, then shook her head and let out an amused sigh._

_"Come back on Thursday, and I'll do my best," she promised. Wynonna flashed her a wide, toothy grin, and waved back as she exited the store._

_End Flashback_

Under different circumstances, Wynonna might have felt bad using her daughter as an excuse to tease the officer. But, Willa actually did love the cake, candy cane flavor and all. She squealed happily as she ate the cake with her bare hands, no one bothering trying to get her to use a utensil.

And though Nicole barely made it through the party without throwing up, she couldn't deny that the smile on Willa's face was worth suffering through a bit of peppermint smell. Even though she silently vowed that someday she would put an end to this damn game that Wynonna still loved to play.

* * *

When Wynonna walked by the door to Willa's room, she couldn't help but smile at the sight. The three year old was wrapped securely under her small bedsheets- Her eyes barely awake and her hair a bundled mess- With Nicole sitting on the ground beside her, a thin, colored book in her hand. Waverly was also in the room, her head in her girlfriend's lap as she slept peacefully.

Wynonna didn't make her presence known right away- Instead opting to stand silently in the opening and watch the scene in front of her unfold.

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And you are the one who'll decide where to go," as she finished the Dr. Seuss book, Nicole closed it and set it down on the top of the nightstand nearby. Willa was nearly asleep and the officer smiled, pressing a kiss to her forehead as.

"Goodnight Auntie Nicole," Willa yawned quietly in a small voice.

"Night Willa, sleep well," the ginger stayed perfectly still in her position until she was sure that the toddler was asleep. Only then did she stand up from the floor, picking Waverly up with her and jumping back with surprise to see the older brunette standing in the doorway.

"Wynonna! God, you scared me," she whispered, clutching her chest lightly in surprise and steadying her grip on the brunette in her arms.

"I can see that," the darker haired brunette chuckled, using her head to gesture for Nicole to follow her out of the room. With a final glance back at Willa, the red haired officer followed behind her, first situating Waverly comfortably in their bedroom before walking back into the hallway, trying to be as quiet as possible as they made their way down the stairs. Wynonna stopped in the kitchen where she had two mugs of freshly made hot chocolate sitting on the counter. She offered one to the auburn haired woman who accepted the cup but did not drink.

"You're really good with her," Wynonna began the conversation.

"Yeah well... She's an easy kid, and she isn't-" Wynonna held up a hand to stop Nicole mid-sentence.

"I... I meant with Waverly," she explained with a sheepish laugh, and realization dawned over the officer's face. "Not that you're not good with Willa either. She adores you," Wynonna laughed and sighed.

"Oh... Well... Thanks?" Nicole wasn't entirely sure how to approach the situation she was currently in.

"Look Haughtstuff, I'm not trying to make anything awkward. I guess I just... I wanna say thanks. For everything. For being there for Waverly, and helping me with Willa, just... For everything I guess," Nicole figured that was as close as she was ever going to get to Wynonna welcoming her into the family and she smiled knowingly. "So... Should we... Ya know... Hug?" Wynonna almost choked on the word.

"Do we have to?" Nicole asked with a small laugh. The older woman shook her head vigorously and stepped forward, placing a hand on her shoulder for a few moments. When she seemed satisfied with herself, she nodded and walked up the stairs, leaving Nicole standing alone in the kitchen. She chuckled and took a sip of her hot chocolate, only to spit it out into the sink a moment later.

"Wynonna! Where the hell did you even get peppermint flavored hot chocolate?"

Wynonna snickered and closed her door, pretending that she hadn't heard a thing.

* * *

Waverly paced nervously through the kitchen, her hands trembling and her eyes wide and evident with fear.

"Auntie Waverly, what's a matter?" the small voice came from behind and startled Waverly so much that she nearly fell.

"Sorry Willa," she apologized and smiled softly at the four year old, "I'm just a little excited right now," she did her best to explain.

"Why?" of course she had to ask why. Willa may not have had Wynonna's over confidence, but she definitely shared her mother's innate curiosity.

"Well... I'm excited because I have to ask Auntie Nicole something that's really important, and I want her to say yes. But it's a secret, so you can't say anything," Waverly clarified, and the younger girl nodded, holding her hands over her lips to signify that she wouldn't spill.

"So whatcha gonna ask?" Willa rocked back and forth on her heels, her hands behind her back as she looked up at Waverly.

"Well, I-" before she could finish, Nicole made her way down the stairs and Waverly jumped up, shoving the box in her hand into her back pocket.

"Hey Waves, are we still heading to get dinner?" she asked, smiling down at Willa and ruffling her hair.

"Yeah, lemme just grab a jacket," she smiled a bit too brightly and her voice was a bit too chipper, but Nicole knew her girlfriend well enough by then to know that if the brunette was hiding something she would find out soon enough. After bidding Willa goodbye and shouting goodbye up the stairs to Wynonna, the pair made their way to Waverly's jeep.

Nicole could tell something was on the shorter woman's mind by the way her fingers anxiously tapped against the steering wheel, but she didn't really feel the need to question anything until Waverly drove past the restaurant they had been planning on going to.

"Hey Wave? You just passed-" she was cut off before she could continue.

"I know."

Waverly didn't seem upset, just nervous, which was interesting, but Nicole made the decision not to question her girlfriend anymore as they continued their drive until they reached Shorty's.

"Waverly, what are we doing here?" Nicole chuckled, but the younger Earp sister didn't answer her. Instead, she stepped out of the car, took the ginger by the hand, and led her inside. It had been awhile since either of them had been inside the building, but it looked practically the same since the last time.

"Seriously Waves, what are we-" before the officer could continue, Waverly lurched forward and kissed her hard on the lips. Nicole slowly forgot where they were or what she was doing and instead melted into the kiss, which in her opinion ended much too quickly.

"Do you remember when we first met?" Waverly asked as she pulled away breathlessly. The ginger let out an embarrassed laugh and nodded, her face tinting a light shade of red.

"Yeah, of course I do. Waves, what's this about?" Nicole reached down and brushed a strand of brunette hair out of the shorter woman's face.

"That day... That day everything changed. I rejected you. And a lot of other people would've just given up, or it would've turned into some creepy obsession. But you... You just stayed wherever I wanted you to. You stood by and watched me be with Champ, and then deny my feelings for you, and you never pushed me to do anything I didn't want to do. Even now. You're always worried about what I want, what I need," Waverly was starting to speed up with her words and, not wanting to ruin the moment, she paused to take in a deep breath, trying not to look away from Nicole, even though the ginger was horribly confused at the moment.

"What I'm trying to say is... You've always been here, being exactly what I need. You never push, you never cross any boundaries without permission and I... I love you so much more than I can explain Nicole. I'll never be able to tell you what you mean to me... What this means to me," she gestured between the two of them, then slowly pulled out the small black box in her pocket.

"I'm never going to be able to explain to you how much I love you, but... If you'll let me," she sunk down on one knee and opened the box, revealing a sparkling, silver ring, "I want to spend the rest of our lives trying. I want this forever. I want _us_ forever. Nicole Haught, will you marry me?"

Nicole's brown eyes were wide, glistening with tears and shock. For a few moments, she lost the ability to speak, but it was quickly regained when she saw Waverly's face fall from anxious to worried and scared. She realized she was taking too long to answer and she was suddenly snapped out of her thoughts.

"Yes!" she cried, throwing herself into Waverly's arms and hugging her tightly. Relief flooded trough the brunette and tears fell from both their cheeks as they sat for a long moment in silence, simply embracing each other.

"Yes," Nicole whispered again as they parted just enough to look each other in the eyes, laughing through her tears as Waverly grinned and slipped the ring on her finger. Neither could contain the smiles on their faces as they sat on the floor in the middle of an old bar. Maybe it was minutes that passed, or maybe it was hours. Either way, when they finally picked themselves up and made their way into the homestead, both sporting ridiculous, goofy grins on their faces, Wynonna sat anticipating their arrival in the kitchen.

"I see the proposal went as planned?" she grinned, and Waverly nodded, burying her face in Nicole's shoulder. The ginger haired woman laughed breathlessly and wiped the corners of her eyes. Wynonna laughed and handed her a glass of water, smiling at the pair.

"Welcome to the Earp family Haughtstuff," she chuckled. Nicole smiled and, too emotionally unstable to realize the scent that was hitting her nose, took a large sip of the "water" she had been given, only realizing her mistake after she had swallowed and gagged on an entire mouth full of peppermint flavored vodka.

* * *

Waverly and Nicole's wedding went better than they could've ever hoped for. The ceremony was small, held in the front yard of the homestead with only a small crowd of the pair's closest friends in attendance. Nicole cried way more than she would ever admit, and Waverly practically threw herself into her new bride's arms as they sealed their union with a passionate kiss.

The reception went well into the night, including dancing, champagne, and an untraceable amount of "congratulations!" uttered towards the newlywed couple.

Nicole grinned from her seat at her table as she watched Waverly and Willa dancing together in the middle of the ground under the tent that had been set up, her gaze only being torn away from the pair when she sensed a body sitting down next to her. Wynonna smiled and handed the officer a glass of champagne, but Nicole only eyes her suspiciously. The Earp heir groaned and continued holding out the glass.

"Come on, I may be an ass, but I'm not cruel. This is your wedding night for Christ's sake. No shenanigans tonight, scouts honor. Dolls here can even hold me accountable," she grabbed his sleeve as he walked by their table, and he rolled his eyes, but ultimately accepted the position of being Wynonna's guardian for the night. It was only then that Nicole took the glass and offered her new sister-in-law a gracious smile when she tasted normal champagne against her lips.

"Alright everybody, I'm gonna slow things down a bit here, can I have the brides on the dance floor please?" the voice of the DJ echoed throughout the tent and Nicole blushed bright red, her smile never fading.

"That's you Haughtstuff, get on out there," Wynonna nudged her towards where Waverly was standing, the biggest smile on her face she'd ever seen. Music began to play in the background and the newlywed couple became so caught up in the moment that neither noticed the older Earp sister slipping away from the ceremony and inside the house.

Wynonna smirked as she unzipped Waverly's suitcase, a bottle of specially made peppermint champagne clutched in her hand that she had been hiding under her bed for a month.

"Wynonna?" a voice behind her startled her enough to make her whip around, peacemaker clutched tightly in her hand and pointed at the source of the voice. She lowered the weapon and let out a sigh of relief when she saw that it was only Dolls, standing in the doorway with his eyes scrunched in confusion. His confusion quickly was relieved, however, when he noticed the bottle in her hands and she gave him a sheepish, only half guilty grin.

"Do they even make peppermint champagne," he questioned, shaking his head, but unable to hold back a small chuckle.

"Not unless you know a guy," Wynonna shot him a wink and he shook his head again.

"You're wicked. You just sat out there not five minutes ago, promising not to tamper with anything at their wedding," he let out an amused sigh. She shrugged and removed the bottle of champagne that was already secured inside, replacing it with her own and turning the bottle so the label was hidden.

"I never said anything about their honeymoon."

* * *

Nicole had officially been the sheriff of Purgatory for a month. It was a big responsibility, but it was one she accepted gratefully and had been celebrated like crazy at the homestead. Of course, along with the party had been another one of Wynonna's pranks with peppermint, but with Christmas coming up, and her newfound position of law enforcement, Nicole finally had a plan to get her back for the years of torture.

Six years. Six years Nicole had spent dealing with that stupid ass game. But now, now was finally her chance to strike back. All the times Wynonna had tormented her, gagged her, made her throw up with her strategic but frankly extremely old ways of slipping peppermint into anything and everything she possibly could, all of it was finally going to be paid back.

Her first real use of her position of power as Purgatory's sheriff was to instruct every store in the town that they were not to sell anything even remotely related to peppermint to Wynonna. And they didn't. No matter where the Earp heir went, not a single soul disobeyed Nicole's instructions.

But this was of course no matter for Wynonna, because she already had plenty of her own supplies, of which Nicole was well aware. So before she had the chance to use any of them, she gave Willa all the candy canes, dumped the hot chocolate down the sink, and poured any alcoholic peppermint beverages into the ground in the back yard. Wynonna of course couldn't say anything about this, because if she did, she would have to admit she had been planning something- Which she would never do- But Nicole could often see her glaring in her direction, obviously pissed about the infiltration of her plans.

The first chance Wynonna got to confront her sister-in-law was on a rare occasion when they were alone in the house. Waverly had offered to take Willa shopping, and the six year old had been more than happy to accept the offer. As soon as Wynonna gave her consent the pair was off, practically running to Waverly's jeep. Doc and Dolls didn't officially live at the homestead- They never really had- But seeing them not occupying one of the rooms of the house was also something that didn't happen often. But either way, Wynonna wasn't complaining for the opportunity to strike.

"Hiya there Haughtstuff," her voice was dripping with false innocence as she walked into the doorway of the shared bedroom between her sister and her wife. Despite the fact that she and Waverly had been married for over a year, her ever-famous nicknames had not shed, and according to Wynonna they never would.

"Evening Wynonna," Nicole tipped a non-existent hat and let her eyes return to her computer screen.

"Alright, lets cut the shit, what did you do with it?" Wynonna suddenly snapped, and the officer smiled up innocently from her computer screen.

"I'm afraid I'm not sure what you're referring too," she raised an eyebrow and Wynonna scoffed, shaking her head.

"Just you wait Haughtshot, you're not getting off that easy," the heir promised. Nicole only smiled at her, watching as she stalked out of the room and laughing under her breath.

Despite Wynonna's promise that she wasn't going to give up on her game just yet, soon enough it was Christmas Eve and Nicole had yet to ingest or even smell peppermint. That night, everyone gathered around in the living room, Christmas music playing in the background as they talked. Willa sat on the floor playing with one of her toys, while Waverly and Nicole sat curled together in the arm chair. Dolls and Doc sat on opposite ends of the couch while Wynonna stood against the wall.

As the clock ticked away and it grew later into the night, Dolls and Doc retreated into their respective "temporary" bedrooms, but Nicole, Waverly, and Wynonna stayed up with Willa.

"You know sweetie, Santa won't come until you're asleep!" Waverly prompted when she noticed the way her wife's eyes were dropping and that her sister was uncomfortably shifting her weight between her legs. Willa let out a groan in protest, but nonetheless she stood and yawned.

"Okay... I guess we can go to bed," she sighed. As she turned to go up the stairs however, her eyes lit up and she ran to the kitchen.

"I almost forgot! I have a surprise for you guys!" she smiled excitedly at her aunts on the couch, holding her hands behind her back.

"Awe thank you sweetie, but we don't need anything," Nicole assured her with a laugh.

"Pleeeeease? I want you to have them!" Willa protested, and in a matter of seconds both women consented to accept her gift. The six year old giggled happily as she pulled out two candy canes covered in glitter and small decorations from behind her back, handing one to each of her aunts. Wynonna nearly choked from laughter, and it was everything Nicole had not to gag in front of her niece.

"We decorated them at school!" Willa explained proudly, a wide toothed grin on her face.

"They're beautiful sweetie," Waverly stepped in quickly. "Why don't you head up to bed, and we can eat these tomorrow?"

"Okay! Night Auntie Waverly, night Auntie Nicole!" the young girl threw her arms around both women and hugged them tightly before racing up to her bedroom, Wynonna smirking back at her sister-in-law before following her daughter up the stairs. Nicole let out a groan and let her head fall into her hands.

"Of all the goddamn things it could've been, it had to be a candy cane," she whimpered. Waverly laughed and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Well, at least it's not Wynonna trying to poison you this time," she pointed out. Nicole nodded and sighed, leaning into her wife's embrace.

The next day, Nicole sat in the living room next to Willa and choked the candy cane down, Wynonna stifling her laughter the entire time. But if she were being completely honest, if it meant making Willa, Waverly, or even Wynonna happy, she would eat a hundred candy canes just to see any one of them smile. Though she really, _really_ hoped that things never came to that.

**Author's Note:**

> So, um... This started as a one-shot and I guess it still technically is but it's way longer than originally intended. Anyways, if you made it this far and can currently manage to read this, I hope you enjoyed the story!!


End file.
